#Tw: Abuse mention

[starlighthome74]

[TW: Panic Attack, PTSD reaction, mention of past abuse]

{Kik feels trapped, suddenly. The walls are closing in, the memories too thick in their haze of painkillers to differentiate from reality. They have to get out of here. They have to leave.}

{Their face is blank, despite the inner turmoil. They stare at the blankets still. The heart monitor starts to beep faster, and the oxygen mask fogs from their breathing kicking up.}

@theorangestarwatcher

★Are you alright?★

★Sorry, stupid question. Do you need anything?★

{Kik looks a little pale, their lips tinted blue. They manage a smile, despite their state.}

"I don't imagine that you can heal me, can you?"

{They figured they might as well try to ask.}

[itsabouttimex2]

Deep Sea Sympathies

Yandere Sun Wukong

(Syntax alphabet is up next, then an LSO + Primal . Feeling super down, so I wrote something a little sadder. The villain tiers post I spent two days writing and rewriting again and again got anonymously sent to another user, who skimmed the majority of it, left out my opening and ending points, and called at least one of my criticisms “ridiculous” and even has a reblogger claiming that I “hate Macaque”, that I want “everyone to hate Macaque” and that I’m “salty”. Maybe it’s childish, but that kind of hurts when I’ve spent literal months making content for the show (often involving Macaque) that I genuinely love. I only wrote that list because I wanted to give my honest opinions as a break from my usual content as I prepared to watch and write for Season Five. Maybe I’m in the wrong and my rant was just stupid? Do you guys want me to delete the “Season Five Prep” posts?)

“I still can’t believe MK got me back into this,” the simian before you chuckles. “But I’m kinda glad he did. I really missed drawing. I forgot how good it felt.”

“…I see,” you ���answer”, maintaining a stiff and poised position, staring down at the collection of utensils that the hero is using. “Are you… having fun, then?”

“Aww, bud. Come and take a seat, okay? Look, I’ll even put out a little mat for you. Come and take a seat,” he invites, plucking one of his transforming ginger hairs to make a proper cushion for you.

His tail winds lazily around your leg, tugging you closer and closer to the squishy orange padding.

“C’mon, bud,” he says, cutting through your hesitation. His voice has a powerful edge under all the sweetness- reminding you that the Monkey King is someone you can’t say no to. “I want you to draw with me, kiddo.”

Wukong is fond of this- pulling you into little “bonding sessions” that take up the whole day and leave you without time to spend with anyone else.

It’s funny, though, really- you are the last person that need be manipulated away from others.

“The Great Witch of Gloom,” was the title that you had been assigned. Before you had a name, before you had taken a step, before you had so much as uttered a cry… your fate had been decided.

You were to be a wicked soul with dark motives and a darker heart.

As old memories flood into your ever weary mind, Wukong arranges a few sheets of paper in front your mat. The grip of his tail slowly tightens, and you cease all stalling.

Lowering yourself to the ground, the mat provides a cozy cradle to shield against the cold wooden floor.

“…it’s almost Winter,” you mildly comment, tracing a finger against a smooth plank. “It’s getting colder.”

“Oh,” the simian casually asks, scooting his mat closer to yours, “you like the snow?” Here’s chance he always adores- any rare tidbit of info you offer is a chance for him to spoil you, stocking up on presents and snacks in an attempt to drown you in platonic love.

It didn’t help that you always felt so indebted after he was done stacking gifts into your arms and bag.

“So, bud- what’re you gonna draw?”

The curiosity in his voice is almost innocent, almost sweet. He pushes the multi-tiered box of crayons towards you, smiling.

“C’mon, pick a few out!”

Awkwardly; and with a shaking hand to boot, you reach for the box.

It’s… not a comfortable sensation. Waxy paper around thick wax sticks makes for an awkward feeling in your hand, and you slightly recoil from the hueless cylinder.

“Aww, kiddo. No one draws with white- heck, you’d be better off eating it! Not that I’ve, uh, ever done that.”

“…I don’t know what to do,” is your blank confession that leaves Wukong quirking an eyebrow.

“What, you don’t know how to draw? You’vd never had… oh. Oh, kiddo.”

Realization colors his golden eyes, leaving the simian king with a sympathetic frown. Your parents wouldn’t have ever let you have something as fun and bright as crayons, would they? How could he have forgotten that?

It had been a nightmare for the Monkie Kids to pry information out of you, and a further mess to try pushing you towards a healing state.

And, honestly- Wukong’s doting ministrations really didn’t help. All the love and gifts in the world could not undo your traumas- but certainly left you feeling as though you were mired in debt.

Not that you had the words to voice those feelings, leaving Wukong to continue piling on with his affections- all in the futile hope that he could love away the demons of your past.

“Okay, bud. Maybe we stepped out of your comfort zone, huh? Alright, my bad. Tell me what you wanna draw, and I’ll pick out the crayons for you, okay?”

“…I don’t know what to draw, though.”

His frown deepens. It’s hard to think that someone as young as you could be so… he wouldn’t say broken. That was far, far too cruel a word for someone he loved so dearly. You were… “cracked”, maybe. A little “tarnished”.

Like you had given up on seeing a light at the end of the tunnel and decided to instead drift slowly along in a dark ocean.

…actually…

“Bud, don’t you like the beach? C’mon, why don’t you draw something from there, yeah?”

“…could I?”

Your little words break his heart. You shouldn’t have to feel like you need permission for something as simple as drawing a damn picture. But you *do*, so he answers with false cheer-

“Of course, kiddo! Draw anything you want!”

“…how do… how would I draw… a jellyfish?”

Finally, a real smile graces his lips.

“I didn’t know you liked jellyfish,” he says, in a too familiar voice that lets you know you’ll be receiving a loaded armful of themed plushes and stress toys in the very near future.

Another load of guilt, another load of debt.

“I’ll take you to an aquarium one day,” he tacks on, unaware of your growing insecurities. “And we can look at them together.”

To him, this is healing. Love and affection and unending comfort.

And certainly, Wukong is far better a guardian than your parents were. Instead of blaming you for powers you couldn’t control, he was always ready with praise and applause. Instead of resigning yourself to rotted garments rummaged from the trash, you had brand-new clothes and warm shoes. You were never hungry. You were never bored. You were never alone.

And, above all else- you were loved.

But you were not happy.

And you doubted that would ever change.

[selfship-shinigami]

your F/O would beat the shit out of your abuser, they would absolutely torment your abuser because no one hurts you and gets away with it , in your F/Os eyes your abuser deserves no peace

[batmanfruitloops]

Yippee, medieval fantasy! I put so much unnecessary thought into the lore of the setting but I love it so.

Jonathan is a half-human half-fae, though no one can tell what he is when he dons his Scarecrow attire. A scarecrow brought to life by a witch? The ghost of a vengeful knight? A lich? Death itself? One thing is for certain, no one wants to cross paths with him.

He lives a mostly nomadic lifestyle, finding and collecting things that he can use to enhance his magic. He has enchanted the bones he decorates himself with as makeshift lightweight armor and protection against other magical attacks. As a bonus, it gives him an undead appearance. His fear toxin is a completely unique form of magic he made himself, because of this it is incredibly hard to counter.

Jonathan grew up with his human grandmother who treated him horribly for being a halfling. He was forbidden from using magic and grew up isolated. After she killed his beloved horse, Ashpuddle, that was the final straw. No longer having to worry about his grandmother he learns magic on his own and reanimates his precious friend. After that, he is determined to become proficient in magic and becomes obsessed with fear. Having been raised isolated from humans, he doesn't understand them and finds them to be horrible (as most magical creatures do) but interesting. He enjoys studying their fear.

I don't really like what I did with Ed's colors, so um... ignore them.

I usually see Riddler depicted as a fae in fantasy settings, but our Ed is not a pretty boy Riddler but instead some kind of little animal. So he is a dragon. Some dragons tell riddles, they kidnap people, and are typically depicted as highly intelligent.

His father gave him to his human grandmother as an egg, and she raised him for the first few years of his life until his father decided to take him back and raise him as a proper dragon. Though he has no intention of actually teaching Ed instead using him as a punching bag to ridicule and project his own insecurities about being raised by a human himself and being mostly outcasted from dragon society. Dragons have a bitter rivalry with humans and it's incredibly taboo to be associated with them in any way.

As an adult, he is left to fend for himself and is hardly prepared to live as a normal dragon. He decides to become the Riddler trying to prove himself to the people of Gotham so he can assimilate into human society and go back to living a normal life with his grandmother. His idea of proving himself doesn't exactly help him and instead makes him a lot of enemies. Dragons are seen as incredibly valuable, dragon parts are used for powerful magic and medicine. He'd fetch a pretty penny and many people he goes after plan to butcher and sell him. He's essentially trying to be the knight that saves the day, but alas he is a dragon.

-Fluffy

[homucifer-ryotan]

(TW: Mentions of CSA (child sexual abuse)

All of these bad "protect minors" internet bills (KOSA or as I like to call it "Kill Online Speech Act", Bill S-210, Bill SB976, the EU bill for Chat Control, etc) frustrate me like crazy, but the reason why KOSA annoys me the most, beside the fact it requires government ID upload worldwide to use the web, not just in North America, (something these American pro KOSA politicians like to forget) when people outside of the USA did not consent to it, but also because it is very hypocritical to push Kill Online Speech Act to law this year to "protect kids" when the USA has child marriages still legal in so many states!

Excuse me Marsha Blackburn, Richard Blumenthal, Chuck Schumer, and Rob Wittman, do you (especially Schumer and Blumenthal since these 2 has been pushing for KOSA the most) not realize how weird it looks to push for KOSA in America to "protect kids" when these "marriages" are still around? Getting a 16 year married to someone 4+ years older than them is way worse than most things on the internet. At least they can they can close or turn off their smartphone/computer. Getting out of a "marriage" like that would be super difficult.

—

Since an Committee mark up (not an actual vote yet) for KOSA is happening this Wednesday (September 18th) please, if you're an American, email or call them calmly (unlike me in this post doing a vent) to vote NO on KOSA and patiently explain why this bill should not happen. Tell them how bad it would look for America if KOSA becomes a thing to "protect kids" when the end of legal child marriages didn't happen and wasn't a priority before any internet bill. Please tell that other danger to kids offline that should be focused before KOSA or any other internet bill. (How can you protect anyone under 18 from the "dangerous internet" and then have them spend less time online when things outside the internet isn't safe either?)

Also if you are American parent, please, please call and tell them you are against KOSA, don't let the title of "Kids Online Safety Act" fool you. It won't do anything to help your kids.

If you aren't an American parent, but you know any, please tell them why KOSA is bad for kids and everyone else so they can also call against it.

Everything you need is below:

(Credit to @super-firepaw119 for contact information below. Also this post is important to see and this google doc has who need to call and what you can use to say)

Thank you very much.

[official-megumin]

I have been thinking about how a lot of trans people seem to like being trans and how quite a few don't even wish to have been born cis. And like I cannot relate. I have just kinda assumed it was because of my childhood trauma. But Instead of just making assumptions, I wanted to ask around!

feel free to explain your situation if you're comfortable as well. Just please trigger tag if relevant

[bespectacled-bookwyrm]

I noticed something when I was looking through my photos when searching for character references.

In the Gen V games, most characters have eye highlights.

The notable ones who don’t?

N, Colress, Anthea, Concordia, and the Shadow Triad.

Although a couple of other characters also lack eye highlights, I find this lot the most notable because they all have one thing in common:

They were all in Team Plasma, and consequently have worked under or interacted with Ghetsis.

It makes me think, y’ know?

Did Ghetsis do something to them? With N, we know he was abusive, but what about the others?

The Triad, for example, always look pretty tired and have a constantly slouched posture.

I dunno. Maybe I'm thinking way too hard about this.

But taking into account the kind of person Ghetsis is, I wouldn’t be surprised if he DID do something.

Thoughts?

[the-ninjago-historian]

GOOD NEWS!!! My family is finally moving out of our abusive home!🤩🥳

It's official everyone! We did it! We're moving! Thanks to all your prayers and support, me and my family are finally moving out a multigenerational abusive home after more than TEN YEARS!

Now I'm sure you all have plenty of questions! (How we're all doing, what will happen to this blog, will I be continuing my fanseasons, etc.) So let me give you all a quick brief on what happened and what will happen!

First off, how are we moving out??? Let me tell you! By some miracle, we managed to get a home loan. Something we have failed to get for years now. But this time it came through, which allowed us to buy a house!

That being said, unfortunately that means this blog will be slowing down and most likely will not be a reliable source for timely Ninjago news. Or be able to participate in various fandom/Tumblr events like Trick or Treating and others. :( This is for a few reasons.

Number 1 being busy moving out obviously. But I will also be busy with other things. Me and my family will be building our lives back from the ground up and that will take time. (I myself with be busy finishing up school, learning to drive, starting a job, healing from my PTSD, etc) Plus, my hyperfixation for Ninjago may die out every once in a while as well. Like it did months ago. (It is coming back by the way. Slowly but surely. ADHD sucks sometimes. Lol.)

HOWEVER, that doesn't mean this blog will be dead! I will be working on my fanseasons still and trying to release info and content when I can! Especially my favorite Ninjago: Into The Deep! And of course Ninjago: Rough Riders! I am also working on a next gen fanseason I've teased a few times. And that one is going to be a MASTERPIECE.

I will also possibly be starting a YouTube channel were I can post Ninjago content as well! If it happens, I'll make sure you all know so you can check it out!

Well, that's about it! So thank you. Thank for the prayers. Thank you for the love. Thank for cheering me and my family on. It means more than you could ever know.

From the bottom of our hearts,

Thank you!💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖

Sincerely - Ink Dragon✒️🐉🖤

[mothvalentino]

// people are losing their shit about the new valangel print Joel commissioned. He's not endorsing irl abuse yall wtf. Those are the same people who will ship radioapple despite Al being a murderous cannibal and Lucifer hating his guts in canon. It's FICTION. Are you a fan of Steven King's books? Watched the movie "IT"? Well, King also wrote a scene where a man gets r*ped with a pistol. Does that make him an advocate for abuse? HELL NO. It's about the horror of it all, about exploring upsetting adult themes. The artwork shines a light on the complicated dynamic between Val and Angel. About how fun and affection can coexist with anger and violence. It shows their toxic relationship without sugarcoating the ugliness it contains. All while perfectly visualizing why victims stay. Because it's not always hate and beating, sometimes it's excitement and intimacy.

Art like this has a right to exist and it NEEDS to. This is how people understand character motivations and learn what toxic relationships actually look like. It's important and trying to forbid people from exploring challenging adult scenarios would be detrimental to any creative expression.

[undead-merman]

Day Twenty One: Teacher Telepathy

Eden and GN Pc

This idea was from @inkyquince's professor Eden. Yes, I wrote this for Inky and Necro

Contains student and teacher relations, thoughts of kidnapping, abuse and extortion of reader, stalking, adoption with the intent to lock you up and fuck you

Fucking coffee grinder broke right on his first day. Snapped right in his hands before he could even make a cup. Normally he’d fix it, but this one was a welcoming gift from Sirris, some electrical hunk of shit instead of an old school mechanical one like he prefers. He doesn’t know how to fix this fucking thing.  He’s not even sure what happened to the old one. So now he’s without coffee and a grinder for it. He’d have to stop by that little run down place right at the forest edge to pick up another.

He grabbed his ham and cheese lunch, wrapped in a brown paper bag, a bottle of filtered water, and house keys before heading out. The sun had yet to rise, leaving the shadows as thick as dark as the thoughts of people passing by.

All of them, fucking disgusting.

Each one echoed in his head like a chamber. Disturbed and deprived thoughts from everyone, though a few thoughts resonate fear when he walked by. Fearing his face, his build, his walk, or even his scars. Some even … Lusted after him, thoughts they believed to be private were loud about what they’d do to him.

It just made his mood worse.

When he got to school and managed to get some coffee from there, it was watery, tasted like trash and some kind of cleaning chemical. He dumped it after the first drink and decided to opt for his water to settle him over as he sat in his room and looked over each class roster. Nothing special, not surprised.

So before everyone filed into his workshop, he took the time to start whittling and enjoy the rare silence.

-

The classes were as loud as he expected. Not just out loud, he could quiet them down in a second, but their thoughts were all over. It gave him a migraine instantly.

Some of them thought this class meat they could fuck around, either with each other or. He made sure to nip that idea right in the bud. It was a hassle just dealing with everyone. Though there was you. You minded your own business, you were particularly cute, not rowdy/ but one thing that stuck out was how calm your thoughts were. They weren’t as foul as the others in town. Sure you weren’t focused entirely on the task assigned but the thoughts about the dog you saw at the orphanage made him smile to himself.

His eyes hardly left you. He studied every part of you. The way you carried yourself, talked to your peers. He didn’t even realize till the end of class that he’d been completely enraptured by you. Even by the end of the school day, his thoughts lingered on you. Even when he got home and took a shower,

he found his thoughts lingering on you still.

Looking down, he saw his cock twitching to life, the dark head began to swell and leak. He ran a hand from his stomach down to his mess of pubes as he thought about your face. The heat of arousal just builds as he adds more kindling to it. Thinking about if you were a virgin or not. You seemed like it. His hand grabs his dick and began pumping.

How tight would you be around him? Were you a quiet moaner or a screamer? You seem like the type to like it rough, and he could provide that. Ram into your hole and until you see stars.

He spills on his hand, and he takes a moment to look at what he’s done. There's shame, though not as much as he’d thought there’d be. His contentedness outweighs anything else. He could do this again and have no problems with the fact that you are his student.

-

It’s been a few weeks now, he’s gotten used to the schedule, he knows almost everyone’s names now, even if he didn't really did not care for most of his students.

But you, he likes you. He keeps an eye on you in class. Watching you as you work and being one of the rare student’s he comes up to help instead of telling them to pay more attention in class before kicking them off the machines for the day. He would have been fine with simply having perverted thoughts about you and jerking off in the shower every night. He really would have, but you saw one of his whittled pieces and smiled looking over it.

Those soft hands of yours gliding over the carved out wolf, your head filled with nothing but genuine awe. Shit, he wanted to ruin you now. You were too docile and sweet for this damn town. He built a cage under his bed for you. It was a spur of them moment thing on a weekend after Sirris dragged him along for drinks. He hated drinking, he wasn’t even sure why he agreed. But the buzz in his stomach and head had him trying to busy his hands and lead to a half finished cage. And when he woke up to see it, he made sure to finish it. The idea of you under there had him just staring, picturing you inside, as he stroked his cock a bit harder this time around than normal. Grumbling when he realized his cum flew and he had to clean the bars.

He’d made his coffee for the day, sat at his seat waiting for the morning to start when he heard a knocking on the door. He frowned, sat up from the chair and swung it open, expecting some snotting idiot to ask him for an extension on a project. No, it was you. Project in hand.

You sat in with him making small talk that he strangely found himself enjoying as he gazed at your project. You did well. Surprisingly so, most students just turn it in for a grade with stuff he’s seen a dozen times before, but you added your own flair and seemed to work hard on it.

You’d be good as a house spouse. Fixing his clothes, taking time to sew up that rip in his nice cable knit sweater. He let one question out, just to test the waters and masking it as concern for you. You answered and seemed happy he was asking something more personal than just to put your name and date on your paper. He asked more, and before he knew it, his watch went off, five minutes before the first bell. You gave him a smile and a wave.

‘Mr. Eden looks handsome today.’

His heart went into his throat as you went out the door. He locked the door and fucked his fist. Cumming all over his hand with two minutes still left.

-

You came into his room more frequently. He could hear your thoughts. You found him safe, even nice. He couldn’t have been farther from those things. In fact, he was the most dangerous thing to you at this school. But he loved that. He loved how safe and secure you felt when he simply was just in the room with you. Would you feel the same way he sat you on his lap during class? Skull fucked you while there was a test going on?

“Mr. Eden are you married?”

He could be. He’d marry you. Not only that, but he’d take excellent care of you. Make sure you never felt lonely, the bed was always warm, He’d even make dinners for you if you made breakfast and coffee. He answers. No. he doesn’t elaborate. And you were content with that, just the way he likes it.

Though your fist catches his eye. Bruised, just ever so slightly, probably even covered up with some kind of make up. He studied you more as you looked at his news carving. Just under your school shirt right at the neck, rubbed off by the collar, was a bruise, one from a rope. He shouldn’t be surprised. You lived at the orphanage. He’d heard about your debt, he was acquainted with Bailey, after all.

Maybe, just maybe, he’d give Bailey a call about you?

-

Sure enough, he was right. He’d been getting you to pay over four thousand a week for the past few months. Figures. Bailey asked if he was interested in you, already sniffing out the reason. He didn’t fully respond, though that was because he didn’t have to.

“The brat hasn’t been able to make their payments. Probably won’t even have this week's either.”

Bailey still owed him that favor… He mentioned it, and he heard a very rare laugh come from him.

“You want them?”

That alone caused him to rub the front of his legs, feeling his trousers becoming tight.

-

It was faster than he expected. Bailey made a comment he was getting soft when he requested it look like an adoption, even though he didn’t actually care about signing it. It just had to look that way to you.

When you had gotten the news, you’d busted into his room blabbering and pulling him into a hug with big wet eyes. Your thoughts were loud today, like new year's celebrations. It was cute, he found himself petting your head and when you calmed down he could hear the thoughts you were trying to push out of your own mind.

‘He’s going to be my dad now… I shouldn’t think about that kind of stuff.’

He’d never dug into thoughts. Not like this. He chased after what you tried to bury. Fantasies about you and him. Not as filthy as what he had in mind, but the fact you saw him in that light had him clenching his hand so hard his nails were digging into his callouses. What was stopping him from pushing you onto the desk and fucking you, just like you both wanted? Tying you up and dragging you home to lock under his bed until you couldn’t do anything but drool over his cock and beg for him to claim you as his own.

He moved closer. Slowly dragging his hand-over your knee and working over your thigh. He could hear you, even though you weren’t talking. He adored the little conflict running through your mind. Even more so with the fact you didn’t move away. Your mind ran a muck, and he kept pushing. You didn’t stop him. Eternally, you were hoping for more. And he gave it to you. Large hands pushing into your underwear to grope you. His middle finger rubbing against your hole.

Soon enough you were in his lap, his fingers inside you, sloppy and wet. The sounds of your hole being abused, and your heavy breathing were loud in his empty classroom. Your fingers digging into the flesh of his arm as he watched you like a predator. You were just as tight as he hopped, if not more so.

Your toes and legs curled as you came from his hand alone. You were gasping for breath. He simply unfastened his buttons and pulled down his zipper. Slowly pulling out his fingers before pulling another confiscated packet of lube out and squeezed it onto his cock.

And he was going to have you all to himself when he finally got you home too.

[kaeyachi]

So...I finished the Arlecchino story quest...

Spoilers below!

TW: Mentions of Suicide, Child Experimentation, Child Abuse, and Murder/Death

This is, by far, the best story quest I have ever done!

First of all, CHILDE?! CHILDE ESCAPING HIS PERSONAL AMBULANCE TO SNEZHNAYA JUST TO COME BACK TO FONTAINE TO ASK SKIRK A QUESTION? Bro is so funny, please-

please save him.

Wait, actually, yeah please do save him. Pulcinella and Pantalone are both plotting in the background, and they got Childe involved...

I also loved the children! Look at how terrifying they are! They're my absolute faves!!

Lyney cementing the reason as to why Arlecchino chose him as the next King is wonderful to see as well. For some time, I thought Freminet and Lynette had a shot, even with reading their lore. What I have failed to realize is that Lyney really is the inspiration for all of the people in the House of the Hearth. His frustrated and disappointed spiel about Freminet not trusting him with Clervie struck me to the heart. This is an older brother at work here people!

Also if I had a nickel every time a cryo younger brother hid a dangerous secret from his pyro older brother which got them into an argument once the truth came out, I'd have 2 nickels ✌️ (somehow gave me war flashbacks to a scene that doesn't even exist lmao)

LYNETTE IS THE FUNNIEST SIBLING BTW. SHE'S MY QUEEN FOR THIS.

Clervie! Our dearest! I'm not fully sure what part in her design did it, but she barely looks like an NPC somehow. Like, yes, this is still an NPC base model, but... is it perhaps the hair? And the extra lashes??

Also, her calling Arlecchino "Perrie" made me sob. I wasn't ready to hear nicknames!!

The mention of Snezhnayan auroras also made me sob again as well. You know what? This entire thing made me sob.

Clervie's dread and horror at the thought of her own mother, her unrelenting spirit that kept her going in her fight for her fellow peers freedom despite the abuse that she will receive, and her unfulfilled dreams repeatedly being mentioned throughout this quest was heartbreaking.

I do have to say- the animations they released for Arlecchino helped a lot with the emotions we are supposed to feel for this quest. Not only was that good Advertising and promotion for the Arlecchino banner, it also set up the plot that would have not been well presented ingame had they chose to do that instead.

Crucabena and Clervie part of this quest were not the only ones mentioned in this quest, but also that damn dude that she killed with her heels! I personally like the way they released all those animations because the quest feels more emotional and alive now, and we could follow with the story better than before (and it effectively increased the hype)

Speaking of more alive, the facial expressions have definitely improved! This quest had them utilizing various expressions well, specifically for the playable characters, so, again, this really helped with the feel of the quest.

Additionally, adding a picture to scenes also set the tone really well. It's not that pictures have never been included in quests before, but the way these were framed(?) made it look way better than the ones before.

By the way...is it just me? Or did Paimon's voice somewhat mellow out for this quest? I had recently played some other story and world quests, and Paimon's EN voice is admittedly high-pitched and painful to hear in those, but for this quest, it's as if her voice was toned down (like Mondstadt Paimon, but with current Paimon energy). I'm hoping this was them taking the criticism from past and adjusting their instructions to Paimon's VA accordingly, because I loved Paimon's voice in this quest (that or I'm delulu)

Quick lore tidbits before I go back to gushing about this quest:

1. Arlecchino confirmed not from Fontaine (like I legit thought she may be Khaenri'ahn due to the blood moon thing she has going for her, but it's nice to confirm her non-Fontainian status)

2. Crucabena was the one who had a deal with Dottore on sending members of the HotH to him for experimentation. Anyone who was physically impaired or left alive after a duel to death are automatically sent to him. Clervie has described this as a fate worse than death... Peruere rejected Dottore's partnership offer once she became the next knave. Also, Crucabena used Clervie as an "example" for those who wish to escape, meaning Clervie received the most abuse (which apparently worsened as the years went by). Clervie lost hope sometime along the way and was basically suicidal as well by the time she and Arlecchino had their duel... Her mindset by that time is that the only hope for freedom to her is death. The popular theory of Clervie letting Arlecchino kill her is proven in a horrifying way with this discovery... (yes, she wanted Arlecchino to be the king, but at the same time, she took this situation as a chance to hit 2 birds with 1 stone)

3. Project Stuzha is apparently something highly dangerous, and Pulcinella and Pantalone are trying to get Childe and Arlecchino involved (Childe was told to aide the project by Pulcinella, while Arlecchino says she doesnt want the HotH to be involved in it)

4. Here is me reannouncing that I am in fact taking the L on the Freminet and Crucabena situation. Basically, the timeline is that at age 16, Clervie dies, and we are left with a 1 year time period for a 6 year old Freminet to enter under Crucabena (I'm guessing this is either a retcon or a means to hide the Arlecchino plot by not having them directly say mother in Freminet's character story 4). After that said 1 year, Peruere kills Crucabena and has spent several months in Snezhnaya before reviving the House of the Hearth and adopting Lyney and Lynette (perhaps the children of Crucabena's HotH simply stuck together during that time)

Basically, yes, Arlecchino is in her mid-20s. Not my personal cup of tea, but hey, genshin ages are confusing most days (Ayato is older than her, and Ayaka may actually be older than her as well... ugh I need a moment please... I MAY BE THE SAME AGE AS HER. NO-)

5. Freminet used to also call Lyney "brother". What changed that, I'm not sure (and if I had a nickel...), but the thought of baby Freminet following around big bro Lyney and big sis Lynette makes my heart melt. Freminet actually cried after Lyney basically told him how important Fremi is to him, so whoever made Freminet think otherwise... 😡 they better square up because we ride at dawn

ok back to me gushing

THE BOSS FIGHT? IT WAS SO COOL! It was beautifully animated, and the fact that they added this at the end?

The fear on the traveler's eyes upon realization of what true power Arlecchino held was amazing imo. We canonically cannot defeat Arlecchino in her boss fight! She will be a weekly boss that we can defeat, but in actuality, we really cannot beat the number 4 of the Fatui Harbringers.

We now have actual proof that harbringers 1-4 are not within our capabilities to challenge, and to add to that horror, this is us fighting Arlecchino with Lyney, Lynette, and Freminet. This is also actual proof that we, the traveler, cannot defeat a ton of other characters as well! (were cooked if we never get a power boost and plot armor✌️)

Also let me sneak in this picture:

Cunty as fck. Powerpuff girls energy. They're the Heathers, and we, the traveler, are Veronica.

And finally, the last part of my commentary that cemented this quest as my top 1:

Everything Arlecchino has done for the House of the Hearth, it was all thanks to Clervie and her dreams.

Arlecchino has shaped the HotH into a more honest relationship between her as the father and them as her children. Everything Clervie hated about the old HotH is now nonexistent in this version.

The children could be set free.

Duels are not to death.

They will not be sent to their doom if they lose.

This is everything that Clervie dreamed of, and this is everything Clervie tragically never got to see and experience because she lost all hope.

Clervie's story ended in tragedy, but Peruere lived and breathed Clervie's dreams for her anyway. Seeing the aurora was the start of Peruere finding the goal of living Clervie's dream, and now, Arlecchino strives to do her best to see those dreams come to fruition.

And the qualities that Peruere admired in Clervie are the same qualities that made her want Lyney to become the next king. Hopeful, caring, protective, passionate, and full of conviction. Lyney will take the mantle and live and breathe for Clervie's and Peruere's dreams someday.

Honestly, I have more to say, but I think this is a good place to stop for now. The dynamics of all these characters have made this experience worthwhile, and I hope that genshin continues with this sort of style in the future. Here's to more amazing stories from genshin!

Bonus screenshot while we are still here:

[selfship-shinigami]

your F/Os despise your abusive parents. they adore you and are proud of you, no matter what your parents tell you.

[batmanfruitloops]

do either jo or edward drink? how is that like for them / what are their feelings on alcohol if they avoid it?

Jo would have tried it as a young adult mostly out of curiosity and somewhat out of rebellion. He wouldn't care much for it though. He is also still struggling with his faith so it's not really worth the feeling of guilt to keep trying alcohol.

Ed grew up with an alcoholic father, he'd never want to touch the stuff. It brings back horrible memories. Not only that, but he's terrified of the person he might become if he ever tried it. He never wants to be anything like his father. Even without the trauma, he'd still hate the effects. He'd hate losing any control over himself.

-Fluffy

[specialgradefckr]

omg your new satosugu fic is sooooo good it’s breaks my heart in such a beautiful way you wrote it so well I couldn’t help but wanna be petty and get them back. Like reader is obviously oblivious to their feelings so I wonder what would happen if they suddenly went to a therapist because they just couldn’t take all the hurt and confusion they’re going through and they just feel so pathetic for liking the satosugu couple and then through therapy they get better and instead of moving out like that last ask you answered what if they’re just gone more often not wanting to interrupt Gojo and Geto’s fun time and eventually finds a guy who’s a walking green flag and one day when they invite him over they feel super bad and embarrassed because gojo and geto are in the middle of a session in their room but readers date being the green flag he is changes the subject by offering to play video games and reader just forgets about everything and has a bunch of fun with the guy. Sorry for this ramble it’s just an idea I’ve had for a while and it’d be so ironic and funny to see Gojo and geto jealous instead of reader like their plan totally backfired. Anyways love your work I send you all my love and support ❤️❤️❤️❤️

see i love you SO MUCH and it's incredibly encouraging to hear other people See The Vision,, The Beauty,,, just how good the yearning and desire hurts,,

however this is NOT the place for therapy. beat your heart to death is a fic about crazy people driving each other even more crazy. NO GREEN FLAGS NO HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS ALLOWED!

this dress code is enforced by suguru and satoru. let me tell you. although they would be very pleased that you want to get them back, they are not about to let you live your life peacefully.

if satoru has to bankrupt your therapist, so be it. if they have to break in, read your therapists' notes, and use that knowledge in pointed conversations about what you're doing with your life, are you really being a good friend to them, are you a good person at all... so be it.

whatever green flag you find is getting stained red, one way or another. like i mentioned in another answered ask, satoru and suguru will lie, cheat, steal, kill, fuck, noncon, incriminate... pretty much whatever fucked up thing you can think of, to keep someone else out of your life.

the only way to stop them would be to find an equally red flag like toji or sukuna sjdhfghgfdg but that doesn't end with you being in a happy relationship.

i do feel you though on the energy of like... "the best revenge is living well". and that would work, but only if you were capable of living well without them - i just don't think they'd allow it.

but if you found a legitimate scumbag.... someone like naoya with zenin connections who they couldn't fuck with as easily - and you married him JUST to get back at the two of them, that could really fuck them up.

and naoya is shit. of course he's shit. you fucking hate him. maybe you don't even let him fuck you. but you let him hurt you. let him yell at you. treat you like shit.

and how is suguru supposed to watch that? how is satoru supposed to overhear you talk about how naoya doesn't think women can (should?) cum during sex. how he makes you "put out", how he's hoping you'll get pregnant as soon as possible, even though you're afraid.

you can't live well without them, but you could live miserably. and that would torment them in a way your happiness never could.

sure it would drive them insane to see you happy with someone else - so insane they'd be sure to ruin it.

but to see you miserable with someone else... you don't have any happiness for them to ruin. you're already in hell. and you'd choose that over them?

that would shake them to the core. and they love you. for all their faults. they don't want you to suffer, at least not unless it's for the sake of love. they don't want you to hurt in any way they can't fix. the end goal is always for you to end up together, obsessed with one another, like you should be.

[halfdent]

Harv’s punched someone in court at least on two separate occasions && both times the public backed him the fuck up!

1. An abusive father gloating about his mistreatment of his son

2. Punched someone who pulled a gun on him

Bonus 3rd round : he’s punched Connie / @repliqant because he’s fucking annoying! ;;;;;

[running-with-the-feels]

Okay, so, in mortal kombat legacy, theres an ep on Scorpion and Subzero where Bi-Han (who basically swaps personalities with Kuai Liang in this version, which is a weird choice but okay) and Hanzo are childhood friends, but their clans still hate each other

So when they get caught play fighting in a field, both their dads show up to collect the boys and separate them and just the look on bby Hanzo's face when he sees his dad

He goes from this:

To this:

in under a second, and then when he walks over to his dad, the dad is making this face:

(His literal only words to his son is this barked order to "get over here" and thats it)

and bby Hanzo just looks back at Bi-Han like:

(You can't see it in the pic, but in the episode it looks like he's shaking.)

Perhaps I'm just reading too much into it, but honestly, he looks shit scared when he sees his dad has found him, and dad looks pissed.

Which, you would think, if your kid is going off to play with the son of your sworn enemy, you'd be more terrified for his well being than angry. Like, you'd be angry that he keeps sneaking off to do this, but wouldn't worry be at the forefront of your mind?

By contrast, Bi-Han's face when he sees his dad:

(You can't see it super well bc of the image quality, sorry)

And Dad's face (He's the one in the center):

and then when Bi-Han looks back at Hanzo:

(In the episode, his eyes keep darting between Hanzo's dad and Hanzo, which again, you can't really see in the pic)

Bi-Han doesn't look afraid when his dad catches them he just looks bummed, like when you get caught playing video games before doing your homework or something, and his dad just seems kinda resigned. Bi-Han and his dad have a conversation about Bi-Han not being allowed to play with Hanzo and his dad, despite being in the wrong, is really patient and a little amused by Bi-Han constantly asking "But why?"

Bi-Han doesn't look afraid of his own dad, but he does look afraid of Hanzo's.

This is a very long winded analysis of a version of mk that pretty much nobody cares about, But, this has some pretty ominous implications for Hanzo's family situation that I wish the show had explored more (it's where I got my hc's for Hanzo's relationship with his dad)

Thoughts?